Sokka sat on the rock beside the lake, surveying one of the maps he took from the Wan Shi Tong's library in his lap while Toph sat on a lower rock, splashing her feet in the water. Aang was busy floating on his back in the lake, where he suddenly dove under the water and bended a block of ice around himself for amusement. Katara grinned as she stood at the top of the waterfall that flowed into the lake.

"Waterbending bomb!" The dark-haired girl shouted with a laugh as she jumped off the top of the waterfall, "Yeah!"

Sokka watched his sister hit the water then his eyes went wide when a tsunami-like wave rose up from her landing and he quickly twisted around to cover the scrolls while Aang in his ice block was splashed out of the water. Toph and Aang laughed happily as the water rained down on them while an annoyed expression appeared on Sokka's face

"Sure, five thousand year-old maps from the spirit library." Sokka grumbled as he held up one of the soaking wet maps, "Just splash some water on 'em."

"Sorry." Katara apologized sheepishly as she rung the water out of her hair then she bended the water from the map.

Sokka looked at the map critically then climbed off the rock and sat the map on the ground, the others gathering around him.

"So, did you figure out what route we're going to take?" Aang asked curiously as sat on the ground beside Sokka, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Okay, we just got out of the desert, so we must be around here." Sokka stated as he pointed to a large splotch of tan on the map, "And we need to go to Ba Sing Se, which is here. It looks like the only passage connecting the south to the north is this sliver of land called the Serpent's Pass."

"You sure that's the best way to go?" Toph asked skeptically as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's the only way." Sokka said firmly then shrugged, "I mean, it's not like we have Appa to fly us there."

"Shush up about Appa." Katara hissed at her brother then cast a glance at Aang, "Can't you at least try to be sensitive."

Sokka stared at his sister with a deadpan expression then he looked over at Aang, who was staring at them both blandly.

"Katara, it's okay." Aang said drily, "I know I was upset about losing Appa before, but I just want to focus on getting to Ba Sing Se and telling the Earth King about the solar eclipse."

"Oh..." Katara said with a surprised expression on her face, "Well, okay. I'm glad you're doing better."

Sokka rolled up the map and got to his feet," Then to Ba Sing Se we go. No more distractions."

"Hello there, fellow refugees!"

The four teens turned around and blinked in surprise when they saw the two women and a man standing behind them, the man waving at them enthusiastically. Sokka's surprised expression fell and he stared at the three refugees blandly.

"So, you guys are headed to Ba Sing Se, too?" Aang questioned curiously as he and his friends stood in front of the Tahn, his pregnant wife Ying, and his sister.

"Sure are." Tahn confirmed with a smile as he rubbed his wife's large belly affectionately, "We're trying to get there before my wife Ying has her baby."

"Great!" Katara said happily, "We can travel through the Serpent's Pass together."

"The Serpent's Pass?" Ying asked in shock while her sister-in-law and husband stared at the four teens in stunned silence, "Only the truly desperate take that deadly route!"

"Deadly route." Toph mused sarcastically then she punched Sokka in the arm, "Great pick, Sokka!"

Sokka pouted and rubbed at his bruised arm, "Well, we are desperate."

"You should come with us to Full Moon Bay." Tahn suggested lightly, "Ferries take refugees across the lake. It's the fastest way to Ba Sing Se."

"And it's hidden." Ying added with a smile, "So the Fire Nation can't find it."

"Hmm..." Katara pretended to think as she smirked at her brother, "Peacefully ferry ride or deadly pass?"

Sokka huffed and crossed his arms, deciding to ignore his sister for the moment.

"I can't believe how many people's lives have been uprooted by the Fire Nation." Katara stated in shock after two Earthbenders had opened the tunnel that led into Full Moon Bay and she stared at all the refugees.

"We're all looking for a better life, safe behind the walls of Ba Sing Se." Tahn commented before he, his wife, and sister waved goodbye to the four teens then headed further into the refugee camp.

Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Toph exchanged looked then the four headed towards the long line to get their tickets.

"Who would have thought after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace..." Iroh mused as he stood beside Zuko and Xiaodan aboard one of the ferries departing for Ba Sing Se and placed a floral hat on his head, "As a tourist!"

"Where in the world did you get that hat?" Xiaodan asked through her laughter and Iroh grinned widely at her.

"Look around. We're not tourists, we're refugees." Zuko snapped, killing the cheerful mood with his grumpiness as he took a sip of food from the bowl in his hand then spat it out a moment later with a disgusted look on his face, "Ugh! I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this!"

"Aren't we all?"

Xiaodan turned around and stared at the young man leaning against one of awning pillars on the ferry, a piece of wheat in his mouth. Zuko glanced over his shoulder at the young man then he turned back to look out at the ocean. The young man pushed away from the pillar and took a few steps towards the trio, Iroh and Xiaodan watching him with wary curiosity while Zuko appeared to ignore him.

"My name's Jet and these are my Freedom Fighters." The young man said then he gestured towards a shorthaired girl and a young man with a bow strapped to his back, "Smellerbee and Longshot."

"Hey." The girl, Smellerbee greeted while Longshot nodded his head silently.

"Hello." Zuko muttered in reply and Xiaodan gave a small wave.

"Here's the deal." Jet stated as he walked closer to the trio, his gaze on Zuko, "I hear the captain's eating like a king while the refugees have to feed of his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"What sort of king is he eating like?" Iroh asked curiously and Jet glanced at him.

"The fat, happy kind." Jet replied drily.

Iroh's jaw went slack and he began to drool as he thought about what Jet was saying. Xiaodan snorted in quiet amusement at the look on the older man's face then she crossed her arms and returned her attention to Jet, one eyebrow quirked upward.

Jet smirked slightly at her as he addressed Zuko, "You want to help us 'liberate' some food?"

Zuko stared down at the bowl of rotten food in his hand for a moment then he tossed it into the water and turned to face Jet.

"I'm in."

Jet's smirk widened and he looked over at Xiaodan, who looked at him impassively.

"What about you? You wanna help?" He asked and the white-haired girl shook her head in the negative, "Suit yourself."

When Jet turned away, Xiaodan made a slight face. She didn't trust this boy, something seemed off about him to her.

"I told you already, no vegetables on the ferry!" The ferry ticket lady barked at the cabbage merchant in front of her, "One cabbage slug could destroy the entire ecosystem of Ba Sing Se! Security!"

The cabbage merchant watched in horror as a security guard led large platypus-bear towards his cabbage cart. The creature growled loudly and attacked the cart, destroying it and sending cabbages flying everywhere.

"Ahh!" The cabbage merchant wailed as he fell to his knees, "My cabbages!"

"Next!" The ticket lady shouted as two security guards carried the merchant away.

"Um..." Aang stammered as he stepped towards the ticket booth, his friends standing behind him, "Four tickets for the ferry to Ba Sing Se, please."

"Passports?"

"Uh... No one told us we had to have passports." Aang stated nervously, scratching his head slightly.

"Don't you know who this is?" Sokka asked as he walked over and threw his arm over Aang's shoulder, "He's the Avatar!"

"Ah, I see fifty Avatars a day." The ticket lady stated drily then she leaned over to look down her nose at Aang, "And, by the way, not a very impressive costume."

She gestured to the left where several young boys were dressed as the Avatar. Aang nodded in admiration and Momo peeked over his shoulder, catching the ticket lady's attention.

"Besides, no animals allowed." The ticket lady snapped then smirked, "Do I need to call security?"

Aang and Sokka looked over, blanching slightly when they saw the platypus-bear chomp down on a cabbage. Momo squeaked and tucked himself closer to Aang, hiding in fear.

"That won't be necessary." Aang said as he held his hands up and backed away.

"Next!"

Toph pushed past Aang, pushing her bag into his arms as she passed.

"I'll take care of this." The blind girl said confidently as she walked over to the ticket booth and slid her passport onto the podium, "My name is Toph Beifong and I'll need four tickets."

"Ah, the golden seal of the flying boar!" The ticket lady gasped in awe as she looked down at the passport and she hurriedly bowed, "It is my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family."

"It is your pleasure." Toph said smugly then she gestured towards Sokka, Katara, and Aang, "As you can see, I am blind and these three imbeciles are my valets."

"But, the animal-"

"Is my seeing-eye lemur." Toph cut the woman off and Momo jumped onto her shoulder, chittering quietly.

"Well, normally it's only one ticket per passport, but this document is so official...I guess it's worth four tickets." The ticket lady stated then happily stamped an approval seal on four tickets.

"Thank you very much." Toph said with barely hidden sarcasm as she grabbed the four tickets off the podium and walked away, her friends following after her.

"Alright!" Sokka cheered as he followed Aang, Katara, and Toph towards the ferry, "We scammed that lady good! Ack!"

Sokka gasped when he was someone suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him backwards. His eyes widened slightly when he turned around and caught sight of a security guard standing in front of him with a stern expression on her face.

"Tickets and passports please." The young female security guard demand and Sokka gulped quietly.

"Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, I got a problem with you!" The security guard snapped and poked Sokka in the chest, "I've seen your type before. Probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious, and let me guess, you're traveling with the Avatar."

Sokka's nervous expression turned to one of confusion and slight suspicion, "Do I know you?"

"You mean you don't remember?" The security guard demanded as she grabbed the front of Sokka's shirt, "Maybe you'll remember this!"

Sokka's eyes went wide when the security guard suddenly kissed his cheek instead of punching him, like he thought she was going to do. His dumbfounded expression turned to one of recognition and happiness.

"Suki!" Sokka exclaimed gleefully and he hugged the makeup-less Kyoshi warrior tightly.

"Sokka, it's so good to see you!" Suki said as she hugged Sokka back then pulled away from the embrace to smile at him.

"You look so different without your makeup!" Katara said in shock as she, Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Suki sat or stood around one of the platforms on the wall surrounding Full Moon Bay, "And the new outfit."

"That crabby lady makes all the security guards wear them." Suki explained as she leaned against the wall in front of the bench Sokka, Katara, and Toph were sitting on.

The Kyoshi Warrior turned her attention to Sokka with a flirtatious smile, "And look at you, sleeveless guy. Been working out?"

"Ahhh, I'll grab a tree branch and do a few chin touches every now and then. Nothing major." Sokka replied with a smirk as he flexed his bicep then rubbed at the muscle, while Katara rolled her eyes at him.

"Are the other Kyoshi Warriors around?" Aang asked curiously from where he was standing next to the bench, his staff griped loosely in his hand.

"Yeah, after you left Kyoshi, we wanted to find a way to help people. We ended up escorting some refugees and we've been here ever since." Suki explained hten smiled when Momo jumped up next to her and she scratched his ears, "Hi, Momo! Good to see you too!"

The lemur purred happily and his eyes dropped shut as he leaned his head further into the girl's touch.

"So why are you guys getting tickets for the ferry?" Suki asked curiously as she looked at the four, "Wouldn't you just fly across on Appa? And where's Xia? Is she alright?"

Katara shifted uncomfortable and glanced at Aang, who remained silent, his head turned away from them.

"Appa's missing." The dark-haired Waterbender said quietly, "And Xia is...She decided to travel with someone who needed her help. We hope to find her and Appa in Ba Sing Se."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Suki said compassionately then she addressed Aang, "Are you doing okay?"

Aang glanced up at her and his friends and he pursed his lips in frustration, "I'm fine. Would everybody stop worrying about me?"

The others frowned slightly and Katara opened her mouth to say something but a familiar voice cut her off.

"Avatar Aang, you have to help us!" Ying called out pleadingly from where she was standing with her husband and sister-in-law on the ground below the platform, "Someone took all of our belongings. Our passports, our tickets, everything's gone!"

"I'll talk to the lady for you." Aang said with a determined expression as he jumped from the platform and hurried back over to the ticket booth to the talk to the lady.

"No passports, no tickets!" The ticket lady barked and she stamped a 'denied' stamp on Aang's forehead.

"But she's pregnant and all of her stuff was stolen!" Aang exclaimed pleadingly, ignoring the mark on his forehead for the moment, "You have to make an exception!"

"No exceptions! If I just gave away tickets willy-nilly to anyone, there would be no more order!" The ticket lady shouted, "You know what that means? No more civilization!"

"What if we gave them our tickets?" Aang tried again but the woman was already shaking her head.

"No!"

"But-"

"Next!" The woman shouted loudly, spitting flying from her mouth and Aang recoiled.

He huffed quietly and walked back over to where Ying, Tahn, Tahn's sister, and his friends were standing, wiping the ink from his forehead.

"Don't worry, you'll get to the city safely." Aang said reassuringly to the family then his tone became determined, "I'll lead you through the Serpent's Pass."

The family nodded hesitantly and Aang began walking, his friends and the family following him as he led them.

"I can't believe we gave up our tickets and now we're going through the Serpent's Pass." Sokka whined as he walked behind the others.

"I can't believe you're still complaining about it." Toph retorted drily as she walked in front of the Water Tribe boy, Momo perched on her shoulder.

Sokka opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by Suki's voice coming from behind him.

"I'm coming too!" the young woman called out as she ran towards the group in her Kyoshi Warrior attire.

Sokka stopped and looked at her worriedly, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Sokka, I thought you'd want me to come." Suki said in confusion as she stopped in front of Sokka.

"I do." Sokka replied hurriedly, "It's just-"

"Just what?"

Sokka sighed and looked at the ground slightly, "Nothing. I'm glad you coming."

Suki frowned slightly and walked past him, heading towards the others. Sokka put his hand on his hip and looked at the ground despondently, then he sighed again and hurried after the others.

"This is the Serpent's Pass?" Sokka questioned as he and the others stood in front of the sign that stood as the entrance to the pass, "I thought it would be a little more wind-y, you know, like a serpent. Huh, I guess they misnamed it."

"Look at this writing!" Ying suddenly exclaimed when she caught sight of the writing on one of the posts, "How awful!"

"What does it say?" Toph asked curiously and Katara walked over to the post.

"It says, 'abandon hope.'" Katara read then she frowned slightly, her blue eyes troubled.

"How can we abandon hope? It's all we have!" Ying all but wailed and her husband wrapped his arms around her as she began to sob.

"I don't know." Aang stated quietly as he looked at the others, "The monks used to say that hope was just a distraction, so maybe we do need to abandon it."

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked him worriedly and Aang shrugged.

"Hope is not going to get us into Ba Sing Se." Aang said coolly as he turned his back on the group, "And it's not going to help find Appa or Xia. We need to focus on what we're doing right now and that's getting across this path.

"Okay, if you say so." Katara muttered and she followed after him when he began walking towards the Pass, the others following her.

"The Fire Nation controls the western lake." Suki commented when the group spotted a Fire Nation ship in sailing through the water as she and the others walked along the Serpent's Pass, "Rumor has it they're working on something big on the other side of it and don't want anyone to find out what it is."

The group of friends and family of refugees continued walking, ignoring the ship. Suddenly part of the rocky pass gave out under Tahn's feet and he gasped as he began to fall. Toph turned around and Earthbended a slab of rock from out of the side of the pass, catching Tahn, then she used the slab of rock to toss him back onto the pass.

"I'm okay!" The man exclaimed as his wife and sister embraced him worriedly, the rocks falling into the water.

"They've spotted us!" Sokka shouted when the Fire Nation ship suddenly launched a large fireball at them, "Let's go, let's go!"

Aang tightened his grip on his staff and jumped, using the side of the pass to push himself forward and towards the incoming fireball. With a fierce expression, he swung his staff and sent the fireball back at the ship with a slice of air. The fireball hit the ship's smoke stacks and Aang snapped open his glider.

The Fire Nation ship launched another fireball, which hit the side of the mountain above the group as they ran along the path, several large pieces of rock falling towards them. Suki looked up and gasped when she saw the rocks falling towards her. A startled yelp escaped her when she was suddenly pushed out of the way by Sokka and now he stared up at the incoming rocks fearfully. Toph quickly bended out a part of the mountain and the rocks slid harmlessly over Sokka.

"Suki, are you okay? You have to be more careful!" Sokka asked hurriedly as he helped the Kyoshi Warrior to her feet and pulled her after him as he began running after the others, "C'mon!"

"Thanks for saving by life, Toph." Toph said drily as she impersonated Sokka, then she shrugged nonchalantly, "Hey, no problem, Sokka."

The blind girl snorted and shook her head then she ran after the others, leaving the broken Fire Nation ship behind.

The sun was setting and the group was making camp in a small flat area on the mountain. Tahn had laid out a soft blanket for Ying to lay on and he was gently rubbing her feet and ankles while his sister sat beside his wife. The others were similarly placing their bedrolls on the ground around the small fire that Katara had set up.

"Suki, you should sleep there." Sokka chided the brown-haired girl when he saw her placing her bedroll on a ledge a little bit away from the group, "Who knows how stable this ledge is, it could give away at any moment!"

Suki huffed slightly when Sokka took her sleeping bag and placed it beside his a few feet from the fire.

"Sokka, I'm fine, stop worrying!" Suki snapped in annoyance as she walked over to the boy.

"You're right, you're right. You're perfectly cable of taking care of yourself! Wait!" Sokka shouted and jumped in front of Suki, preventing her from lying down then he sighed in relief and moved out of her way, "Oh, never mind, I thought I saw a spider, but, you're fine."

Suki's stared at him in confused frustration but she didn't say anything as he moved away.

Xiaodan sat with her eyes were closed and her hands were folded in her lap beside Iroh, trying to meditate. Zuko had left with Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot as soon as night had fallen several minutes previous and, though she would never admit out loud, she was worried about the grouchy banished prince.

"Do not worry." Iroh spoke quietly without looking at the white-haired girl, "He will be fine."

Xiaodan opened her eyes and sighed quietly, but she didn't respond.

Zuko stealthily climbed the stairs up to the second deck just as a guard passed by, Jet and Smellerbee, silently following him while Longshot remained below. The three teens snuck up beside the food storage room, peering into a window briefly then they crouched down and nimbly moved towards the front.

Zuko straightened and pressed his back against the wall of food storage area, then he peered around the side. Seeing no one, he looked back at Jet and Smellerbee and nodded his head once then he ran silently towards the door with Jet. The two stood on either side of the door while Smellerbee kept watch. Zuko unsheathed his dao blades and Jet jammed the spiked end of his hook swords between the door's lock and the doorjamb. Jet twisted his blade slightly, unlocking the door and Zuko pushed it open. The scarred prince held the door open and the two teens looked around cautiously then they hurriedly entered the storage room.

Jet cut down some chicken-ducks hanging from the ceiling and catches them in a drawstring sack then he went to gather more food. On the other side of the room, Zuko used his swords to turn bowls of food onto each other then he used his swords to stack them neatly. Sheathing his weapons, Zuko pulled a ribbon from his pocket and used it to tie the containers together. Jet glanced over his shoulder at the other boy and smirked slightly as Zuko placed the containers in his bag then he slung the bag over his shoulder.

"Guard's coming!" Smellerbee called out quietly and the two boys rushed silently out of the room.

The three ran towards the railing on the upper deck and a moment later, Longshot fired an arrow with a rope attached to it. The arrow embed itself into the wood of the railing and the two boys quickly slid the bags of food down the taunt rope, then Jet, Zuko, and Smellerbee slid down afterward. Once their feet were safely on the deck below, Longshot yanked the arrow from railing just as a guard walked past.

The four looked around cautiously then hurried back to where the other refugees were, the bags of food slung over Zuko's and Jet's shoulders.

Aang stood at the edge of flat rocky outcropping the group at made camp at and stared blankly out at the ocean. Katara stared at him for a moment then she carefully approached him.

"You know, it's okay to miss Appa." She said gently but Aang remained silent and she continued, "What's going on with you? In the desert, all you cared about was finding Appa and now it's like you don't care about him at all."

"You saw what I did out there." Aang said sadly, "I was so angry about losing Appa that I couldn't control myself. I hated feeling like that."

"But now you're not letting yourself feel anything." Katara whispered with a small frown, "I know sometimes it hurts more to hope and it hurts more to care. But you have to promise me you won't stop caring. Xia wouldn't want that, you know?"

Katara smiled softly at him and held her arms out, "Come on, you need a hug."

Aang stepped away from the ledge and bowed towards her, "Thank you for your concern, Katara."

Katara let her arms fall to the side and watched the young Airbender with a concerned expression as he walked away from her. She sighed quietly and looked out at the ocean.

"I wish you were here, Xia." The dark-haired Waterbender murmured, "You would know what to do."

Sokka sat on flat rock several feet from the camp and looked at the waning moon sadly. Suki walked over to him quietly and stood beside him then she looked up at the moon.

"It's beautiful moon." She commented softly and Sokka looked up at her.

"Yeah," The Water Tribe boy agreed just as softly then he looked back at the moon, "It really is."

Suki sighed quietly and sat beside him, "Look, I know you're just trying to help, but I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." Sokka replied, giving the Kyoshi Warrior a small smile.

"Then why are you acting so overprotective?" Suki asked curiously and Sokka looked away from her.

"It's so hard to lose someone you care about." He replied with a sigh, "Something happened at the North Pole and I couldn't protect someone. I don't want anything like that to ever happen again."

"I lost someone I care about." Suki stated shyly and she glanced up at him from under her lashes, "He didn't die, he just went away. I only had a few days to get to know him, but he was smart and brave and funny."

"Who is this guy?" Sokka asked with barely concealed jealousy as he got to his feet and stared down at Suki, "Is he taller than me?"

"No, he's about your height." Suki replied in amusement.

"Is he better-looking?" Sokka demanded, still not getting what Suki was trying to tell him.

"It is you, stupid!" Suki finally exclaimed with a small laugh as she got to her feet and stood in front of Sokka.

"Oh!" Sokka said in surprise and he gave the girl a sheepish smile.

The two stared at each other for a few moments then they began to unconsciously lean towards each other, their eyes fluttering closed. Their lips were about to meet when Sokka opened his eyes and turned his head away, a conflicted expression on his face.

"I can't." Sokka said quietly without looking at the Kyoshi Warrior.

"I'm sorry." Suki apologized gently, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"No, you shouldn't be." Sokka stated with a sigh and he turned away from, heading back towards the camp.

Suki watched him go, her brows puckered in a worried frown.

Xiaodan, Iroh and Zuko sat with Smellerbee and Longshot while Jet passed the rest of the food around to the refugees.

"So, Smellerbee, that's an usually name for a young man." Iroh commented idly as he looked at Smellerbee curiously.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a man...I'm a girl!" Smellerbee snapped and she got to her feet, walking away from the group.

"Oh, now I see." Iroh called out to her, trying to fix his mistake as Longshot got to his feet and hurried after the girl, "It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!"

Xiaodan giggled quietly and put her hand on Iroh shoulder, shaking her head at him.

"Smooth, old man, very smooth." The white-haired girl teased him and Iroh made face at her, causing her to giggle even more.

Longshot followed Smellerbee quickly and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around to face him. He gave her a look and she sighed.

"I know, you're right. As long as I'm confident with who I am, it doesn't matter what other people think. Thanks, Longshot." Smellerbee stated gratefully and Longshot nodded at her.

Xiaodan sipped at her tea quietly while Iroh eagerly slurped at his noodles from beside her and Zuko sipped at his own drink on her other side. The white-haired girl sat her drink down in front of her and picked up the bowl of fruits and nuts Zuko had handed to her earlier when Jet approached them.

"From what I hear, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se." Jet said as he sat down across from Xiaodan, "I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall."

"It is a magnificent site." Iroh commented idly as he sat his bowl down.

"So you've been there before?" Jet asked with eager curiosity.

"Once." Iroh replied carefully as he looked off to the side, "When I was a...different man."

Xiaodan put a hand on his knee and gave him a soft smile when he turned to look at her. Iroh returned her smile with one of his own and he patted her hand gently then he picked up his own cup of tea and took a sip.

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, but that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning." Jet explained, his tone sounding slightly pained, "A second chance."

"That's very noble of you." Iroh remarked with a small nod then he glanced over at his nephew, "I believe that people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances."

Zuko glanced over at his uncle and the two stared at each other for a moment.

"Everyone should." Xiaodan added in a quiet voice as she picked up her teacup and took a sip, her eyes downcast so she didn't see the way Zuko turned to look at her.

"Yeah." Jet agreed with a small nod of his head in the white-haired girl's direction, "They should."

The sun was high in the sky the next morning when Aang led the group through the narrow mountain path carefully and they all came to a stop. They all stared in dismay and shock at the section of the pass that was completely submerged in water for several yards. A determined expression appeared on Katara's face and she walked towards the front.

"Everyone single file!" The Waterbender ordered as she began to bend the water apart and she walked onto the narrow strip of land that was revealed, the others following her in a straight line with Aang bringing up the rear, "Aang, I need help!"

Aang handed his staff to Toph, who was walking in front of him and he quickly began bending the water around the group, creating a bubble around them as they walked towards the other side of the pass.

Momo chittered excitedly as he looked at the fish swimming past from his spot on Toph's shoulder. The lemur chittered again and dove into the water, swimming after the fish, much to Sokka's amusement. Momo was about to grab one of the fish when a large something swam past him and the lemur quickly dove back into the water and onto Toph's shoulder, his ears pinned fearfully to his head.

The group stopped walking and stared in shock and trepidation as the large thing swam past their little bubble.

"What is that thing?" Katara muttered worriedly as the thing swam past.

The monster suddenly swam through the bubble, causing the group to scream in fear and panic as water began rushing around them. Tahn clung to his wife and sister protectively, holding their faces against his chest as water began rushing around them. Toph quickly stomped her feet and lifted her hands, Earthbending the ground beneath their feet up through the water until they breached the surface. Toph handed Aang his staff back and the group watched fearfully as the monster swam circles around them. The monster, which was a rather large and colorful serpent, suddenly reared up and out of the water, roaring at them ferociously.

"I think I just figured out why they call it the Serpent's Pass!" Sokka exclaimed then he grabbed Suki by the shoulders, "Suki, you know about giant sea monsters, make it go away!"

Suki slapped his hands away and glared at him, "Just because I live near the unagi doesn't mean I'm an expert!"

Sokka flinched away from her then grabbed Momo and held him up towards the sea monster.

"Oh great and powerful sea serpent, please accept this humble and tasty offering!" Sokka called out as he held the lemur up, "Thank you!"

"Sokka!" Katara shouted reproachfully and Sokka winced, dropping Momo to the ground.

The sea monster screeched at them again and lunged towards them, but Aang rushed forward and swung his staff at the creature, knocking it's head back and to the side with a powerful gust of air.

"I'll distract it. Katara, get everyone across." Aang ordered then he snapped open his glider and took off, causing the sea monster to screech and chase after him.

Katara watched him for a moment then she ran forward and quickly froze the water to create a trail of ice that connected to the other side of the Serpent's Pass. Katara gestured for the others to cross and everyone but Toph hurried as quickly as they could over the other side. Katara turned to face the sea serpent and Aang, who was flying in circles around the creature's head. Quickly, Katara jumped into the water and froze her feet, using Waterbending to ski across the water towards the serpent.

Aang stopped circling the creature and flew towards the other side of the pass, the creature screeching and chasing after him. The serpent screeched again then dove into the water and Katara just managed to stay balanced as she propelled herself after the monster. As she pulled up alongside the sea serpent, Katara began to freeze serpent's body, but the ice shattered when the serpent lifted part of its upper body out of the water. Katara quickly whirled around and skied away when the serpent began chasing her in retaliation.

On the ice bridge, Sokka was urging the others to run ahead of him and he turned around to look at Toph, who was still on the small circle of earth.

"Toph, c'mon!" he shouted at her urgently, "It's just ice!"

Toph tentatively put her foot on the ice bridge then jerked it back on the patch of earth when she saw that her 'sight' would be restricted.

"Actually, I'm going to stay here on my little island where I can see!" Toph shouted back only to scream loudly when the serpent's body suddenly slammed down behind her, destroying half of the little island.

"Okay, I'm coming!" She yelped and tentatively began shuffling sideways across the ice, her arms held out for balance.

"You're doing great!" Sokka called out encouraging, "Just follow the sound of my voice!"

"It's hard to ignore!" Toph retorted sarcastically as she continued her slow shuffle.

"You're almost there!" Sokka shouted reassuringly then he gave a surprised should when the serpent suddenly slammed down on the ice trail, shattering it and dropping Toph in the water.

"Help!" Toph screamed as she struggled to stay above water, "I can't swim!"

"I'm coming, Toph!" Sokka shouted as he began taking off his boot, only to freeze when Suki ran past him and dove into the water, swimming towards Toph.

"Help!" Toph cried out again just before she slipped below the water.

Suki quickly dove below the water and grabbed Toph by her underarms and the Kyoshi Warrior pulled the blind Earthbender up. Toph gasped and clung to her rescuer tightly.

"Oh, Sokka, you saved me!" Toph exclaimed then kissed Suki's cheek, thinking it was Sokka.

Suki chuckled semi-awkwardly, "Actually, it was me."

"Oh...well..." Toph stuttered then she chuckled in embarrassment and slumped against the older girl, "You can go ahead and let me drown now."

Suki smiled slightly and began swimming towards the others with her arm carefully wrapped around Toph to keep her above the water.

Meanwhile, Aang and Katara managed to create a whirlpool around the sea serpent by rapidly running across the water in a circle around it. The monster screeched as it was spun and tossed around, its screeching being abruptly cut off when the force of the whirlpool slammed it into the side of the mountain and it fell back below the water, where it swam away. Seeing that the serpent was gone, Aang snapped open his glider and Katara grabbed hold of him, the two flying back towards the others. The group cheered happily as Aang and Katara flew past them then the group continued to travel through the rest of the Serpent's Pass.

"There's the wall!" Sokka shouted excitedly as the group came to the end of the Serpent's Pass and they could see the wall of Ba Sing Se in the distance, "Now it's nothing but smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se."

Ying suddenly groaned in pain and her knees buckled, her husband just barely catching.

"Oh no!" She gasped as she clutched at her rounded stomach.

"What's wrong?" Sokka asked worriedly and she groaned in pain again.

"The baby's coming!" She gasped, her husband and sister-in-law carefully lowering her to the ground.

"What?" Sokka yelped in distress, "Now? Can't you hold it in or something?"

"Sokka, calm down." Katara chided lightly as she walked forward, "I helped Gran-Gran deliver lots of babies back home."

"This isn't the same as delivering an arctic seal!" Sokka shouted as he began waving his arms around, "This is a real...human...thing!"

"It's called a baby and I help her deliver plenty of those, too." Katara replied drily then she began issuing orders, "Aang, get some rags. Sokka, water. Toph, In need you to make an earth tent, a big one."

Aang and Sokka rushed away to do as the Waterbender ordered while Toph made a large earth tent around Ying, her husband, and her sister-in-law. Katara nodded in approval and walked towards the small crack that was just large enough for a person to enter.

"Suki," The dark-haired girl called over her shoulder, "Come with me."

Suki followed the slightly younger girl into the earth tent, leaving Toph to wait outside for the boys.

Zuko stood at the helm of the ferry and stared out the fog that covered the water as the ferry approached Ba Sing Se.

"You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were." Jet commented suddenly as he approached Zuko.

Zuko tensed and glanced at the other boy as Jet came to a stop beside him.

"You're an outcast, like me." Jet continued as he too stared out at the fog, "And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's back. Because no one else will."

"I've realized lately that being on your own isn't always the best path." Zuko stated calmly, his thoughts turning towards his uncle and the annoying white-haired girl that he found himself tolerating more and more with each day that he spent in her company.

The two young men stared quietly as the wall became clear through the fog. Zuko glanced over his shoulder slightly when he heard soft footsteps coming towards him and Jet, his gold eyes narrowing then softening every-so-slightly when he saw Xiaodan standing a few feet away behind them. The white-haired girl smiled faintly at him and walked closer until she was standing on his other side, the back of her hand gently brushing his as the three stared at the approaching wall in silence.

Jet looked at the girl from the corner of his eye, observing her for a moment. Something about her was nagging at the back of his thoughts but he pushed it away for the moment.

Ying panted heavily and clutched her husband's and her sister-in-law's hands tightly as sweat glistened on her forehead.

"You're doing great, Ying." Katara said encouragingly as she kneeled in front of the older woman's bent knees then she called over her shoulder, "Sokka, where that water?"

Katara turned back to the laboring woman, "Now get ready to push. One...two..."

Sokka entered the earth tent with the bowl of water in his hand and his eyes widening.

"Three...push!" Katara called out and Ying groaned as she pushed, Sokka fainting behind his sister a moment later.

The soft sound of a baby crying reach Aang, Sokka, and Toph's ears as the three sat outside the earth tent. Sokka was holding a damp rag to his face, his head shaking slowly as he tried to get rid of the mental image from his mind.

"It's a girl!" They heard Katara exclaimed a moment later.

"So, you want to go see the baby, or are you going to faint like an old lady again?" Toph asked Sokka in amusement.

"No, no," Sokka said hurriedly as he got to his feet, "I'm good this time."

The two entered the earth tent and a few second later, Katara appeared at the entrance.

"Aang," She said quietly with a small smile as she looked down at the boy, "You have to come see this."

Aang hesitated a moment then he grabbed his staff and got to his feet. He walked quietly into the earth tent with his head slightly bowed. A soft cry caused him to pause just inside the tent's entrance and he looked up, his gaze settling on his friends standing around the family.

"She sounds healthy." Toph commented with a grin as she rubbed at her chin slightly.

"She's beautiful." Katara added sweetly as she looked down at the baby.

"It's so...squishy looking." Sokka said with a perplexed look as he looked down at the baby in Ying's arms.

When his eyes settled on the newborn baby, a smile began to form on Aang's face and he suddenly found himself wishing Xiaodan was here so she could see this.

"What should we name her?" Tahn asked his wife softly as he lightly ran his finger down his baby's cheek.

"I want our daughter's name to be unique." Ying murmured thoughtfully, "I want it to mean something."

Aang's smile widened slightly and he quickly wiped the tears he felt well up in his eyes away as he took a few steps forward.

"I've been going through a really hard time lately." The young Airbender said quietly, "But you've made me...hopeful again."

Ying smiled up at Aang then looked down at her baby, "I know the perfect name. Hope."

"That's a perfect name." Tahn said affectionately, "Hope."

The teens all smiled and nodded quietly at the name.

"I thought I was trying to be strong." Aang said quietly as he stood in front of Katara several feet away from Toph, Sokka, and Suki, who were standing beside the tent, "But really I was just running away from my feelings. Seeing this family together, so full of happiness and love, it's reminded me how I feel about Appa and Xia...And how I feel about you."

Katara smiled faintly as a few tears escaped her eyes and the two embraced, her eyes still watery. The other three approached them and they broke apart.

"I promise, I'll find Appa as fast as I can." Aang stated then took his staff when Toph held it out to him, "I just really need to do this."

"See you in the big city." Sokka quipped with a small grin as he put a hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Say hi to that big fuzzball for me." Toph added with grin then she punched Aang in the arm, causing him to wince slightly.

"You'll find him, Aang." Katara remarked reassuringly as she smile at him, "Him and Xia."

"I know. Thank you, Katara." Aang replied with his own smile then he snapped his glider open and looked down at Momo, "You ready, Momo?"

Momo chittered quietly and the two flew off, heading towards Ba Sing Se. The other four teens waved goodbye as they waved Aang and Momo fly away. Once they were out of sight, Suki walked over to Sokka.

"Sokka, it's been really great to see you again." She said with a small smile.

"Whoa, hold on." Sokka stated in confusion as he looked at the young woman, "Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?"

"I came along because I wanted to make sure you got through the Serpent's Pass safely." Suki explained gently, "But now I need to get back to the other Kyoshi Warriors."

"So you came along to protect me?" Sokka asked and Suki nodded.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about last night." Suki said awkwardly as she stood in front of Sokka, "We were talking...and saying things...and I just got carried away and before I knew it-"

She was abruptly cut off when Sokka kissed her.

"You talk too much." Sokka muttered when he pulled away a few moments later and Suki smiled.

The two shared another deep kiss, their arms wrapping around each other tightly.

Aang smiled slightly as he and Momo flew to the top of the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, where they landed. Aang snapped his glider closer and held his arms out as he turned in his a slow circle, taking everything in. His arms dropped to his sides and he stared in horrified shock at the massive drill with the Fire Nation insignia on it heading straight for the wall.

Aang's expression fell and he looked at Momo, who was perched on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Momo," The young Airbender apologized quietly, "Appa's going to have to wait."